Doc. No. 37
RESOURCE AND REFERRAL SERVICES - WORK/FAMILY PROGRAM
GENERAL MOTORS CORPORATION
September 28, 1999
Mr. Richard Shoemaker
Vice President and Director
General Motors Department
International Union, UAW
8000 East Jefferson Avenue
Detroit, Michigan 48214
Dear Mr. Shoemaker:
During the current negotiations, the parties discussed matters related to the Resource and Referral Services - Work/Family Program.
The childcare and elder care resource and referral programs, integrated during the 1996 negotiations, will be formally renamed to the UAW-GM Work/Family Program. Current EAP representatives in GM locations will now be referred to as Work/Family Program Representatives and will provide resource and referral information, program promotion and awareness for all Work/Family Programs. These programs include the Employee Assistance Program, Child Care and Elder Care Resource and Referral, Childcare Consortiums, Workplace Violence Training, and Critical Incident Response.
These Work/Family Programs provide quality information to help employees make more informed choices as consumers of Work/Family services.
Under the direction of the Executive Board-Joint Activities, the UAW-GM Center for Human Resources will be responsible for program development, determination of delivery methods, coordination and evaluation. Funding will be provided by National Joint Training Funds.
Very truly yours,
Gary L. Cowger
Group Vice President - Labor Relations
Doc. No. 38
ORIENTATION PROGRAM
GENERAL MOTORS CORPORATION
September 28, 1999
Mr. Richard Shoemaker
Vice President and Director
General Motors Department
International Union, UAW
8000 East Jefferson Avenue
Detroit, Michigan 48214
Dear Mr. Shoemaker:
The parties have long recognized the importance of providing orientation programs for new employees. Many of these programs resulted from the diligent efforts of plant employee groups and have addressed such topics as quality, teamwork, safety, and joint programs in addition to those items new employees must know to perform their jobs.
"Men and women enter the work force today with little or no knowledge of what is expected of them as employees and as union members in a unionized, industrial plant community. Many of them have not been adequately prepared to cope with industrial situations in which they suddenly find themselves.
"New employees come to General Motors with little or at best incomplete information about their employer and their union. They have little knowledge of the extensive economic benefits available to them as agreed upon in collective bargaining between the UAW and General Motors over a period of more than thirty years.
"Many new employees may be unaware of the commitment of GM and the UAW to fair employment practices and to the application of the National Agreement to all employees without regard to age, race, color, sex, religion, national origin, disability, or sexual orientation. They are not familiar with basic contract provisions covering such subjects as transfers, promotions, shift preference and seniority. They may be unaware of the opportunities for advancement to highly paid skilled trades jobs through the Apprentice and EIT programs. They tend to be unfamiliar with the obligations of the employee to his job, to the union and to his employer. Many are unaware of the importance of regular attendance, quality workmanship and the need for cooperation by all in getting the job done. Too often they are unacquainted with the various procedural matters related to their job and their relationship to their union and their employer.
"New employees usually have little knowledge of the long history of the UAW and of the administrative structure of the UAW at the International and local union levels. They do not understand about their relationship to the union, about the initiation fees and dues requirements and their rights within the union contained in the UAW Constitution and guaranteed by right of appeal to the Union's Public Review Board.
"Frequently, they have never seen the inside of a manufacturing plant before and are unfamiliar with the operations, the nature of the product and how it is used.”
In this regard, the parties agreed to supplement local plant programs by providing a national New Employee Orientation Program through the auspices of the Center for Human Resources. The program will be developed by a joint study team of UAW and GM representatives and technical consultants. The focus of the program will be on national materials that explain the respective roles of GM and the UAW, the state of the auto industry, the changing composition and diversity of the work force, the negotiated joint programs, and how employees, Management, and the Union work together to foster employee well-being and Corporation business success which benefits both employees and communities.
The national program ensures uniformity of message and treatment. Throughout the development of the orientation program, the Center for Human Resources will obtain broad-based feedback from group/divisions, plant and Union representatives to ensure the program best meets the needs of its customers. The program will be made available to requesting locations, including appropriate support on how to deliver it most effectively. It is anticipated the national program will be packaged in a self-contained module to provide local parties the flexibility to incorporate it into their ongoing local orientation programs as they deem appropriate. Locations should make the program available to new employees within a reasonable period of time. The national program content will be kept up-to-date and the program will be evaluated periodically to ensure it is meeting its goals. Training will be provided as needed to Corporation and Union representatives from each location responsible for administering the program.
Development and promotion of the national New Employee Orientation Program shall be funded through the UAW-GM National Joint Training Funds. Ongoing costs incurred at each location may be funded through Local Training Funds. Local parties may request funding for ongoing program costs from the Center for Human Resources, as necessary.
The New Employee Orientation Program shall not be subject to the Grievance Procedure nor in any way limit communications by the Corporation with its employees or by the Union with its members.
Very truly yours,
Gary L. Cowger
Group Vice President - Labor Relations
Doc No. 39
MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING
EMPLOYEE ASSISTANCE PROGRAM
General Motors and the International Union express their determination to work jointly with personal problems including substance abuse and mental health among GM workers and their families.
Alcoholism and drug dependency is recognized by medical, public health authorities, General Motors and the UAW as a disease. These diseases can impair workers' ability to function in their lives and on their jobs. Alcoholism and drug dependency as well as other personal problems contribute to increased absenteeism and tardiness and deterioration of job performance. This in turn disrupts work schedules with consequent dissatisfaction among the majority of workers who are sincerely trying to do conscientious jobs. The combination of factors is recognized as having a potentially damaging effect on plant efficiency and endangers the job security of the worker.
The causes of personal problems including alcoholism, drug dependency and mental health are not well understood and cures are difficult. Nonetheless, General Motors and the UAW believe that constructive measures are possible to deal with these problems which can be a major cause of family breakdown and are related to personal breakdown and violence in the community.
General Motors and the International Union agree that the UAW-GM Employee Assistance Program Representatives’ title will be changed to Work/Family Representative which reflects the broadened scope of resource and referral information they will provide employees in addition to providing all EAP services for all UAW represented employees.
I. Objective
The objectives of this joint effort are to help employees and their family members develop healthier life styles and enhance the effectiveness of the workforce. Further the purpose of this program is designed to help prevent the development of personal problems and provide access for treatment and after care for those already affected.
General Motors and the International Union acknowledge that neither local management nor the local union working alone can always provide the level of motivation required by employees experiencing personal problems. As a result, joint efforts are imperative in encouraging the employee to seek EAP services, as needed, to respond successfully to treatment, and to maintain a resolve to avoid further personal problems.
II. Guidelines for Administration
Responsibility for directing and coordinating these efforts will be the principal function of the National Work/Family Program Committee. The Committee will be comprised of an equal number of representatives from the respective organizations and will be co-chaired by the Group Vice President - Labor Relations for General Motors and the Vice President and Director of the GM Department of the UAW, or their designated representative(s). This Committee will engage in joint efforts and function administratively in consultation with an Work/Family Committee comprised of local management and local union personnel which will review the efforts of the local Work/Family team on a regular basis. The Committee will meet regularly for the purpose of reviewing the administration and operation of the UAW-GM Employee Assistance Program, resolving issues not otherwise resolved and providing direction and consultation to local Work/Family Committees.
The National Joint Program Administrators, the National Benefits Administrators and CDR Representatives will meet periodically to discuss issues impacting EAP program administration. In this regard it is important to:
1. Generate a climate at the plant level which will eliminate the effects of the social stigma associated with mental disorders, alcoholism and drug dependency, and other personal problems which act as a barrier to employees seeking help to resolve personal problems;
2. Insist that local management and the local union at all levels exercise their best efforts toward the objective of earlier identification and motivation of the employee to accept EAP services;
3. Assure confidentiality in working with the employee;
4. Assist in developing educational and informational materials for use at the plant level.
III. Local Employee Assistance Program Administration
The local Work/Family Committee consists of the Plant Manager or a designated Management representative, the Plant Personnel Director, the President of the Local Union and the Chairperson of the Shop Committee. It will be the responsibility of this Committee to review on a periodic basis the local Employee Assistance Program.
General Motors and the International Union will designate representatives of local management and representatives of the local union to work jointly on these problems. Among the responsibilities of the local Work/Family team are:
1. In cooperation with the central review organization (CRO), the carrier and the local central diagnostic referral (CDR) agency, survey community resources to determine the availability of appropriate treatment facilities and the cost of treatment. Where facilities are inadequate or unavailable, undertake efforts to improve the situation.
There will be an assessment by a CDR within 24 hours of a Work/Family representative’s direct referral resulting from a medical emergency. While the parties recognize the value of providing timely assessments, they also recognize that there may be situations where 24-hour assessment does not occur. On a cases-by-case basis, the joint parties will review such situations and undertake efforts to improve the situation.
2. Help employees understand that they may consult on a confidential basis with the local Work/Family team, or an outside central diagnostic and referral (CDR) agency, concerning the employee's problem.
3. Arrange for the local union benefits representative to be available to explain to the employee and others who may be involved the extent to which recommended treatment qualifies for payment under the GM Health Care Program.
4. Establish and maintain active aftercare and follow-up programs. Help employees understand the therapeutic benefits of self-help groups and engage Work/Family participants in these group activities.
General Motors and the International Union acknowledge that:
1. Nothing in this statement is to be interpreted as constituting any waiver of Management's responsibility to maintain discipline or the right to invoke disciplinary measures in the case of misconduct which may result from or be associated with the use of alcohol or drugs or personal problems. The union may exercise its right to process grievances concerning such matters in accordance with the GM-UAW National Agreement;
2. During or following treatment the employee should not expect any special privileges or exemptions from standard personnel practices; and
3. When a leave of absence is necessary so that an employee may undergo medical treatment for alcoholism or drug dependence or personal problems in or from an appropriate facility in accordance with this program, and when the employee has voluntarily submitted to such treatment and provided the employee has unbroken seniority, sick leave of absence will be granted pursuant to the National Agreement and the employee will be eligible for benefits in accordance with the GM Health Care and Life and Disability Benefits Programs as negotiated with the International Union.
IV. Additional Understandings
During the course of 1996 Negotiations, the parties held extensive discussions over a wide range of EAP subjects. The following represents the highlights of those discussions and the commitments arrived at between the parties:
1. A key ingredient in combating personal problems lies in education, early identification and early intervention. Accordingly, the National Work/Family Program Committee has developed a comprehensive education and training program directed at all levels of local management, local union, and the work force. Administrative costs of the program will be funded by the Executive Board-Joint Activities.
2. The National Work/Family Program Committee through a series of meetings, with input from Work/Family Representatives in the plants, has developed Standards for UAW-GM Work/Family Programs. Those standards are incorporated by reference into the terms of this Memorandum, including revisions or modifications the parties may make in the future. Problems related to the implementation of these standards will be brought to the attention of the UAW-GM Center for Human Resources, Work/Family Program Staff for resolution.
3. The National Work/Family Program Committee will continue efforts towards facilitating the professional development of individual plant Work/Family Representatives. In line with professional development, the parties commit to expand professional development efforts to include mandating certifications of future Work/Family Representatives.
V. Work/Family Representation
1. Work/Family Representatives will be scheduled to report for Work/Family representation purposes during overtime, part-time or temporary layoffs, or inventory when 50% or more of the people they represent on their respective shifts are scheduled to work.
2. During overtime hours, when less than fifty percent (50%) of the people they represent on their respective shifts are scheduled to work, they will not function pursuant to this Memorandum of Understanding, but will be scheduled to perform Work/Family Program activities if they would otherwise have work available in their equalization group.
VI. Drug Testing
Because of the recent emergence of a substantial body of legislation requiring drug testing of many of the Corporation's employees, both represented and non-represented, the parties have had extensive discussions surrounding drug testing and have agreed to the following:
1. All drug testing performed will be conducted in accord with applicable laws mandating or regulating such testing; such as, Federal Aviation Administration, Department of Transportation, or Department of Defense.
VII. Conditions of Employment Guidelines - For those Employees in the Employee Assistance Program Whose Seniority has been Broken
When Employee Assistance Program participants or other employees suspected of being in need of EAP services return to work, the following can be agreed upon between the bargaining unit representative, Labor Relations, the Work/Family team and the employee.
The specific items to be included will depend on the individual case and should be developed to meet the particular circumstances. Accordingly, items one through five may be recommended for inclusion in a condition of continued employment by the joint Work/Family team.
1. Participation in in-plant self-help meetings. Length of participation that will be required and frequency of meetings can be either specified in advance or left up to the discretion of the Work/Family team.
2. Participation in outside self-help groups and mandatory completion of an aftercare plan which might include antabuse recommended by a treatment facility and monitored by the Work/Family team.
3. Mandatory cooperation in follow-up and monitoring for a period of time specified by Work/Family team members.
4. Periodic scheduled urine screening when it is felt this procedure could be of value in monitoring and encouraging abstinence. In cases of positive findings, the results must be confirmed by a second testing method.
5. A specific period of total non-use of alcohol or other drugs can be agreed to between the parties. The Work/Family team and the employee must concur with this probationary period which is defined as not less than six months nor more than two years and it must be understood by all parties that resumed use could result in termination of employment during this period.
The above items (one through five) will be administered jointly by the Work/Family team for those employees returning under these conditions. Any conditions of continued employment agreed to by Management, the Union and the employee are considered contractually binding and non-compliance could result in disciplinary action up to and including discharge. The employee's previous disciplinary record and action which may be taken for further misconduct will be matters reserved to the actual settlement of any grievance(s) involved and/or will be resolved between the bargaining unit representative and Labor Relations.
The seniority status of the employee must be specified as either a new hire or reinstatement of former seniority. If seniority is reinstated, all rights and privileges which would normally accrue in line with the reinstated seniority under the terms of the national or local agreement must be granted.
[See Doc. 46, 102, 114]
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